not yet

a pretty decoration on the dog-walkers tree

I have a tinsel decoration which keeps falling down. But I am saying oh no you don't, we still need you. It's not over yet! I'm not quite ready for the bareness of January, although glorious blue skies will help.

Today we have torrential rain and snuffles have arrived. But the pretty twinkling lights and tree are helping see us through to the new year.

our tree in all it's glory!

I'm not sure how I will cope without my fairy lights......I may have to put in a large jar and carry on enjoying them.

I especially like turning these on in the evening, so that passersby can enjoy them too!

lights in my kitchen window

These are the soft vintage lights which I still have since my childhood. I love them so much! I will keep them up until the 4th, which is my way of counting the 12 days of christmas, (from christmas eve that is!). 

Then I will hope for sunshine and blue skies to take us through January. I think we need a rather large dose of hope right now to see us through these darker days.

christmas morning in the sunshine, so busy!

We had this glorious sunshine on christmas day. The boy, agreed to walk with me, before plugging in the new technology too! We put on our christmas hats and felt silly.....it was fun!

The white flags were definitely waved on christmas day. I feel we are re-building our christmas traditions, really from the ground up. It's not easy when there is only one parent and one child. We have had some seriously difficult events around previous christmas times. That we are still only learning how to ground oursleves from. There has been loss, accident, trauma, illness. Families shaken to the core. Is that dramatic? probably. We are not quite out the otherside yet either. But I am seriously grateful for any little light and joyful moment that comes. It's a mixed bag isn't it.

It's not too late though. each year we can build on little successes. This year I got the gravy right, and the roast potatoes! (I did drop half in the bottom of the oven though!) but even that will become a christmas story too.

Oh and friendly neighbors who invite you over to share some wine in the evening, god bless them! yes both days! there are some good people in this world.